The appointment
Urbanization, Sustainability and Society was launched by Emerald as an open access journal on urban resilience, sustainability and the social dimensions of urban change. He joined its editorial board as Associate Editor at its launch, alongside a board of internationally recognised editors, and expected the journal to become a key international reference for urban resilience.
The role
An associate editor manages manuscripts through peer review: assessing submissions, selecting reviewers, weighing their reports and recommending decisions. In a new journal the role carries additional weight, because the first editors set the standards, scope and reputation that determine whether the journal succeeds.
The appointment draws on his research on smart cities, urban microclimate and digital twins, and on his record of guest editing special issues for Emerald journals.
Significance
Editorial board membership is a recognition of standing in a field: editors are chosen because authors and reviewers will trust their judgement. It is part of a wider body of editorial leadership that includes guest editorships, lead editorship of proceedings and his role as Editor-in-Chief of the Book of Future Environments Research.
Why open access
Research on urbanisation and sustainability is most useful when it reaches the people who govern and build cities, many of whom work outside universities and cannot access subscription journals. An open access journal in this field removes that barrier, and its editors carry responsibility for ensuring that open access is matched by rigorous review.